Florida LB Brandon Spikes::Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Apparently, trying to blind someone is far less serious than complaining about an official's blown call. While the SEC brass is content to hold the Sword of Damocles over the head of any coach who dares question a bad call that might have cost his team a victory, conference officials are perfectly cool with Florida coach Urban Meyer's decision to suspend linebacker Brandon Spikes for the first half of Saturday's game against Vanderbilt for Spikes' eye gouge of Georgia tailback Waushan Ealey in the Gators' win against Georgia.

Here is the text of the SEC statement:

"The Southeastern Conference has reviewed and accepted the disciplinary actions taken by the University of Florida regarding football student-athlete Brandon Spikes.  The university suspended Spikes for the first half of its next game (vs. Vanderbilt, Nov. 7) for an unsportsmanlike act during the Gators' last game (vs. Georgia, Oct. 31)."

As I wrote yesterday, if Spikes played for Ohio State, he'd be sitting at least a game. Presumably, Florida officials ran the suspension by the conference office before issuing it, so the one-half suspension must not have raised any red flags in Birmingham.

At least Spikes didn't complain about the refs. Then he might have faced a serious suspension.